Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)

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Full-timeOnline & BlendedLevel 73 years (Full-time)360 Credits

Providing essential knowledge and skills for a successful career in a number of early childhood related roles, this degree focuses on the major aspects of early childhood education, exploring current issues and trends without the requirement of practice.

This course introduces you to the field of early childhood education in New Zealand. It discusses professional knowledge, skills and values, as well as examining the key documents that guide early childhood professionals in New Zealand. In particular, Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 2017), the national curriculum framework for early childhood education, its overall intent, structure and the practices it promotes are introduced. Professional relationships, responsibilities and qualities of early childhood teachers are discussed and you will become familiar with the concept of reflection as a tool for growing your teaching practice.

This course introduces you to key concepts, theories and perspectives on child development. By covering the domains of cognitive, physical, language, social and emotional development, this course emphasises the importance of understanding child development from a holistic perspective. You are encouraged to reflect on your values, cultural understandings and beliefs about child development by being introduced to current developmental theories. Thus supporting your practice with children as unique individuals.

This course examines how play supports and fosters children’s learning and development. Theories and perspectives in relation to play are investigated and ways to apply these theories are suggested. You will explore how Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 2017) guides holistic teaching and learning in order to support teachers to design and implement meaningful play experiences. Through a sociocultural approach to teaching and learning, this course discusses teaching approaches that enhance responsive learning environments, improve teaching practice and support child-centred pedagogy.

This course supports your growing understanding of concepts related to culture and cultural diversity in light of your own culture and early childhood education, including teachers, children and their families/whānau. It introduces you to the bicultural foundation of Aotearoa/New Zealand, including a brief introduction to The Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and its influence on society and early childhood education. Multiculturalism and the growing cultural diversity of early childhood education settings and communities are examined in order to support you in becoming a culturally responsive professional who genuinely supports equitable education for all children.

This course focusses on the importance of a sociocultural approach to teaching and learning. The planning process is examined, with particular emphasis on assessment, evaluation, and reflection for guiding children’s learning. The process of documenting, interpreting and analysing the combined views of early childhood teachers, family/whānau and children for assessment purposes is explored in-depth. Theories of teaching and learning, including that of an emergent curriculum are examined and applied throughout this course.

In this course, you are introduced to the concept of social competence in early childhood and explore the key foundations for social development and learning. The effective teaching strategies that support and promote the emerging social skills and prosocial behaviour in infants, toddlers and young children are also considered. An important concept of including all children underpins the content of this course by suggesting best teaching practices and approaches in order to meet the diversity of children’s needs and encourage collaborative relationships and partnerships with families/whānau.

This course introduces you to effective practices that support the health, safety and wellbeing of infants, toddlers and young children in an early childhood education context. Key legal requirements and ethical principles that promote the protection of children’s rights, as well as practices that can be implemented to support health and wellbeing in an early childhood education setting are explored.

This course emphasises cultural self-awareness and cultural respect as a foundation for working effectively within communities and informing pedagogical beliefs, values and practices. Furthermore, culturally inclusive pedagogy and teaching in the age of cultural diversity is investigated and considered, in order to develop respectful and inclusive attitudes, relationships and practices.

This course aims to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on and consolidate the learning you have gained through your academic courses and apply it to your early childhood education practice. This will contribute to your growing understanding of the holistic nature of child development and learning, and how it can be fostered through play. You will make important connections between your growing theoretical knowledge and the actual practice of being an early childhood teacher.

This course examines curriculum experiences that promote language, literacy and the arts for infants, toddlers and young children and provides ideas for their practical implementation. You will make important connections between early childhood and primary school curricula, which will support you in facilitating opportunities for experimentation for infants, toddlers and young children in a range of curriculum areas.

This course considers the developmental needs of infants and toddlers, as well as different philosophies and pedagogical perspectives related to infant and toddler care and education. It encourages you to reflect on your own values, cultural understandings and beliefs about working with infants and toddlers, as well as reveals new thinking about infant and toddler care and education and what impacts on teachers’ responsibilities within early childhood settings. Curriculum provision for infants and toddlers is analysed and ways of implementing it in practice are considered.

In this course, you examine how children develop concepts through engaging in meaningful learning experiences, while acquiring content knowledge of mathematics, science and technology through your engagement with current practices and research, as well as through making connections between early childhood and primary school curricula. Planning and assessment practices and teaching strategies that foster mathematics, science and technology in early childhood education are examined in-depth.

The key focus of this course is families/whānau, their role and responsibilities in society and the contribution they make to their communities, with a particular focus on the early childhood education context. A range of social issues and realities faced by families in contemporary society are explored and practices that assist early childhood teachers to respectfully support children, parents and families/whānau are considered.

In this course, you explore leadership in early childhood education from the perspective of leadership practices that the teacher can develop to exert greater influence and enhance the learning outcomes of children in this setting. Leadership is discussed with the context of shared leadership perspectives and includes consideration of both distributed and pedagogical leadership approaches. Another feature of this course is the focus on teacher wellbeing. It is considered in the context of teacher’s feelings of security, affinity and sense of achievement, and is positioned within the leadership approaches.

Engaging in bicultural development in the teaching practice can be a dilemma many early childhood centres face when it comes to practice. This course serves as a theoretical and practical guide for you to not only recognise the importance of understanding and accepting the Tiriti-based values of two traditions within the bicultural society of Aotearoa/New Zealand, but also to be able to actively practice te reo and tikanga Māori in early childhood contexts. Through the in depth exploration of tikanga and te ao Māori, this course highlights the responsibility of early childhood teachers to support Māori identity, language and culture and actively promote Māori values and language for children of all ethnicities through everyday teaching and learning.

This course explores a range of factors that contribute to the holistic health and wellbeing of infants, toddlers and young children in the early childhood education context. Specific consideration is given to teaching practices, educational policies and community initiatives that support and contribute to children’s health and wellbeing and how teachers ensure that wellbeing is planned for and prioritised within their early childhood education services.

This course investigates the early childhood sector at an international level, drawing on literature and research from around the globe. You explore the historical influences that have shaped contemporary early childhood education and also examine how, over the course of history, international agencies have been founded and since then have had a positive influence on education and welfare of children.

The intent of this course is to deepen your understanding of the role of the teacher in noticing, recognising and responding to children’s interests and learning. By engaging with this course, you have the opportunity to further reflect on and consolidate your theoretical knowledge and apply it to practice, particularly drawing on pedagogical content knowledge to support planning and assessment for infants, toddlers and young children.

In this course, you revisit the concept of curriculum and examine the significance of values, beliefs and philosophies that inform and shape practice in early childhood education. The course prompts you to critically reflect on how curriculum and various approaches influence your values, beliefs and pedagogy in early childhood education. Historical, political and societal influences on early childhood education are examined and a range of curriculum approaches are discussed.

This course focuses on early childhood teachers as leaders and explores a range of leadership theories and concepts. An emphasis is placed on your own leadership through critically reflecting on your emerging professional philosophy in respect to leadership and ethics. A range of leadership perspectives that have implications for those working in an early childhood context are critically examined, with a particular focus on exploring pedagogical leadership as it relates to the role of the teacher.

This course builds on the importance of inclusion of children with diverse needs in early childhood contexts and challenges you to consider your role as an early childhood teacher in supporting and advocating for children with diverse needs and their families/whānau. It also explores historical, political and legislative changes that have taken place both globally and domestically and the critical role of these changes in developing teachers as strong advocates, committed to equitable pedagogies.

Underpinned by the significance of teacher identity and an understanding of the crucial role all stakeholders play in relation to quality early childhood education, this course prompts you to critically reflect and relate your knowledge and experiences to support quality care and education in early childhood contexts. Focusing on intentional teaching for learning, this course considers contemporary perspectives on quality and current educational discourse in regard to developing quality learning experiences for children.

This course supports you to develop a critical understanding of contemporary issues and trends in early childhood education and the potential impact they may have on children and families/whānau. You are also prompted to critically reflect on the historical and contemporary policies and perspectives that have impacted on the occurrence of issues and trends in early childhood education, and consider your role as an early childhood teacher in supporting children and their families/whānau in early childhood contexts.

This course aims to prepare teacher-researchers to carry out inquiry in their practice in a professional setting. The most common form of practitioner research, action research, is presented in order to build your knowledge to carry out inquiry and research in a practice setting. The course prompts you to consider how to design for ethical research, and provides a brief introduction to research approaches, thus building your research skills towards undertaking action research in early childhood contexts.

This course examines how the changing multicultural world may impact on teaching and learning in early childhood contexts and encourages you to engage in critical reflection in order to play a more active role in advocating for children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. By engaging in deep critical evaluation and reflection, you develop a sound understanding of concepts surrounding multiculturalism and a range of cultural perspectives that influence practices of particular cultural groups. You are encouraged to critically reflect on the place of intercultural pedagogy in an early childhood context, and consider ways to apply it in practice.

The focus of this course is to see the role of the teacher, and that of the student, as being relational, subjective and fundamentally ethical. The course considers ethics and ethical dilemmas, as well as the ethics of everyday teaching. This includes fundamentals of interacting and engaging with children, from how we welcome children to our centres in the morning and the way that we actively listen and act upon children’s voice, through to how we teach and care for children using respectful and inclusive practices. This course will encourage your critical engagement with fundamental issues of early childhood education that shapes you as a teacher.

Academic Entry 

  • Domestic applicants need to be a minimum of 16 years old prior to starting the programme. International applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age prior to starting the programme.  

  • Applicants for the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) who are under the age of 20 must have University Entrance  or one of the following:  

    • International Baccalaureate with Completion of Diploma (minimum of 24 points)  

    • Academic equivalent entry  

    • Ad eundem statum admission  

  • Where an applicant’s qualification has been undertaken outside of New Zealand, NZTC has discretion to determine equivalency to the New Zealand qualification. Equivalency is assessed on a case-by-case basis.  

  • Applicants for the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) over the age of 20 may receive special admission. Special admission is applied for, and granted, at the discretion of the College.  

  • All applicants must declare any physical or learning disability, or diverse needs that may impact on their performance as a student. 

Note: Detailed academic entry criteria is determined by our admissions team. 

English Language Entry

  • International applicants must provide evidence of meeting English language requirements according to Rule 22 of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority Programme Approval, Recognition, and Accreditation Rules 2025. Details of these requirements can be found HERE

  • If at any point in the selection process New Zealand Tertiary College holds concerns about an applicant’s English language competency, the College will require the applicant to provide evidence of meeting English language requirements.

All students will be required to:

  • Engage in online discussions

International students will also be required to:

  • Undertake work experience (paid or voluntary) in a licensed early childhood centre for a minimum of 16 hours per week throughout the programme

  • Attend tutorials for a minimum of four hours per week throughout the programme

Online
Online is a flexible mode of learning without face-to-face attendance requirements. All study is conducted through our learning management system - NZTC Online. Courses are completed and assessed online, and you are part of an online learning community where you can interact with other students and lecturers through online discussion forums to assist your learning.

Blended Learning
Blending the flexibility of online learning with practical experience and face-to-face engagement, all students access the learning management system (NZTC Online) for course materials, research and support materials, and assessment submission and return.

August 2025 intakes:

Monday, 4 August 2025

Monday, 11 August 2025

Monday, 18 August 2025

Monday, 25 August 2025

September 2025 intakes:

Monday, 1 September 2025

Monday, 8 September 2025

Monday, 15 September 2025

Monday, 22 September 2025

Monday, 29 September 2025

October 2025 intakes:

Monday, 6 October 2025

Monday, 13 October 2025

Monday, 20 October 2025

Tuesday, 28 October 2025

November 2025 intakes:

Monday, 3 November 2025

Monday, 10 November 2025

2025 Fees NZD
Domestic students - $7,104 per year
International students - $26,000 per year

The following fees are also required:

  • Student Fee Insurance $50
    Covers the insurance to protect student fees. The fee is based upon one stage of study.

  • Student ID card $30
    One off payment at beginning of study. Students must submit a photo for a student card to be produced. Replacement cards for lost or stolen cards are $30.

  • Police Vetting Fee $25
    One off payment at beginning of study.

  • NZQA Reporting Fee $10
    Covers the cost of reporting qualification to NZQA.

If you are applying for Credit Recognition and Transfer (CRT):

  • CRT Assessment Fee $95
    The fee is non-refundable even if no CRT credit is awarded.

International students may also be required to pay the following fees:

  • Homestay Placement $350
    This fee is non-refundable even if no homestay is taken by the student.

  • Medical and Travel Insurance $861 (approx)/annum
    Insurance purchased from NZTC meets the conditions for insurance stipulated in the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students. All insurance submitted to NZTC will be evaluated to ensure it meets the conditions. If the insurance does not, no Confirmation of Enrolment will be issued. Please check HERE.

New Zealand Tertiary College qualifications have been designed to link easily into each other, providing you with a flexible range of pathway options into higher level study.

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) you may be eligible to apply for the following postgraduate programs. Entry criteria will apply.

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Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Leadership and Management)

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Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood Education)

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Master of Early Childhood Education

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Master of Education (Early Childhood Education)

You may also be eligible to apply for the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) which upon completion results in eligibility to apply for New Zealand teacher registration. Entry criteria will apply.

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Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

Download our ECE Study Prospectus


Apply to enrol with NZTC

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Simply fill out a few details below. From there, you can either go straight to our full application form or wait for one of our team to get in contact with you in the next few days.

If you're an international student, you can apply online with our online application form. Click here to apply as an international student.

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